Insanity- why am I not losing weight? instead, put on weight
andreea82
Posts: 5
Hi everyone! I've been doing Insanity for 2 weeks and a half now, never missed one day, hoping to lose weight. I've been doing a lot of exercise for the last 7 years ( aerobics, tae-bo, aqua gym, fitness, etc, so I am not at all a stranger to working out) and I always lost weight while going to the gym. Usually, I lose weight very easily. As I wanted to try out something new and pretty challenging, I started Insanity. I was very motivated and excited the first week, I read online that we should not care for the kg, but the centimeters we lose.
After the first 2 weeks, I lost most of my motivation as I noticed that my legs are swollen, it's like I have been a sedentary person for years.
Plus, I feel fat and heavy. I cannot describe the feeling. All I know is that I got the reverse results I was hoping for. As I said before, I have been working out for many years and it's the first time this has happened to me. Of course that after noticing the swelling of my whole body, especially the legs, I ran to the scale and there was a weight gain of 3 kg. Is it normal????!?1? Can anyone explain to me why this is happening? I have to say that my eating habits have not changed. I eat the same as I have for many years since I started working out. I do not have a diet, as I do not believe in diets, I am totally into exercising and being active.
Thank you!
After the first 2 weeks, I lost most of my motivation as I noticed that my legs are swollen, it's like I have been a sedentary person for years.
Plus, I feel fat and heavy. I cannot describe the feeling. All I know is that I got the reverse results I was hoping for. As I said before, I have been working out for many years and it's the first time this has happened to me. Of course that after noticing the swelling of my whole body, especially the legs, I ran to the scale and there was a weight gain of 3 kg. Is it normal????!?1? Can anyone explain to me why this is happening? I have to say that my eating habits have not changed. I eat the same as I have for many years since I started working out. I do not have a diet, as I do not believe in diets, I am totally into exercising and being active.
Thank you!
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Replies
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insanity is a real intense workout program and ur muscle will be retaining water for repairs... just insure ur drinking plenty, eating high protein every meal and in a week or 2 the weight will melt off (not so much a scales loss but an inches loss)0
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I agree, drink tons of water. That "swollen" and heavy/bloated feeling is likely lots of water retention (as is the gain!). Drink tons of water and that should help you to feel better!0
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Thanks a lot for your replies, girls! I felt so unmotivated because of the "heavy/bloated" body feeling that I wanted to give up:(0
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i have been in a similar situation... about how much/how many calories are you eating each day (can't see your food diary)? you mentioned that you have not changed the way you eat -- which i am guessing you haven't upped your calorie intake...
i have a long story that is similar to yours. it's possible that you should be eating more. it's possible that your body is burning quite a bit more than it was used to, yet you never gave it more fuel. from what i hear, Insanity is very intense.
is this a possibility?0 -
Muscle my friend0
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Water retention. Your muscles depend on the water! And with a workout like that I have no doubt you are losing fat but gainig muscle. A pound is a pound. But not all pounds are created equal. For now concentrate more on measurements, how you feel, how your clothes are fitting etc.
Good luck!0 -
water water water!!! Insanity is just that, insane, so no matter how much you worked out before your muscles most likely are getting a better workout than they ever have before. When this happens, they kinda have a "wtf was that?!?!?" period where they have to figure out what just happened to them and how to fix it, and hold onto a lot of water in the process. That results in "weight gain," and swelling making you feel fatter, but you just have to wait it out and your muscles will adjust and repair without retaining so much water. I'd avoid the scale while your doing insanity anyways though just because of the water retention and possible muscle gain. You'll lose cms though while you're doing it, unless you completely undo it by eating junk all day0
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about how much/how many calories are you eating each day (can't see your food diary)? you mentioned that you have not changed the way you eat -- which i am guessing you haven't upped your calorie intake...
i have a long story that is similar to yours. it's possible that you should be eating more. it's possible that your body is burning quite a bit more than it was used to, yet you never gave it more fuel. from what i hear, Insanity is very intense.
is this a possibility?
I have never counted my calories...I just know that I avoid junk food and I do not want to be obsessed with diets/ no. of calories/ meal or day. Now, I do have a question: Why should I up my calorie intake/ eat more? You might find it funny, but as I have always been fit and exercised a lot and never cared about calories, I do not know any of these things. Do you see my point?:)0 -
When this happens, they kinda have a "wtf was that?!?!?" period
That results in "weight gain," and swelling making you feel fatter
))) EXACTLY!!! 0 -
I have never counted my calories...I just know that I avoid junk food and I do not want to be obsessed with diets/ no. of calories/ meal or day. Now, I do have a question: Why should I up my calorie intake/ eat more? You might find it funny, but as I have always been fit and exercised a lot and never cared about calories, I do not know any of these things. Do you see my point?:)
You may be eating more than you think if you aren't counting. It adds up fast. Also, I checked your age, and you're approaching 30. I never had to worry about watching my calories until I got older. Our bodies change, metabolism slows down. You're on the website that has the best calorie tracker. Put it to good use!0 -
First weight loss takes time, and second p90x is going to help you gain muscle and that weights more, try measuring ur waistline and give it some time, it will pay off!!!!0
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water water water!!! Insanity is just that, insane, so no matter how much you worked out before your muscles most likely are getting a better workout than they ever have before. When this happens, they kinda have a "wtf was that?!?!?" period where they have to figure out what just happened to them and how to fix it, and hold onto a lot of water in the process. That results in "weight gain," and swelling making you feel fatter, but you just have to wait it out and your muscles will adjust and repair without retaining so much water. I'd avoid the scale while your doing insanity anyways though just because of the water retention and possible muscle gain. You'll lose cms though while you're doing it, unless you completely undo it by eating junk all day
Exactly!!!0 -
I am on Insanity and without a doubt you are working muscle and holding water due to the exercise. Andreea, Insanity burns a HUGE amount of calories so if your daily calorie goal is 1200-1500 you are already set very low and should lose weight regardless if you exercise or not. If you dont eat back your exercise calories then you are basically reducing your calorie intake to well below 1000 and basically starving yourself. You NEED to eat. Even if you don't want to.0
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You might need to change your eating habits. What kind of food are you eating?
I don't believe in ' fad diets' per se, but I do believe in eating right and ensuring that you are getting the right amounts of carbs, proteins, fats, etc. You need to have a balanced diet...
As the saying goes....'Abs are made in the kitchen'... 70% of what we look like is based on what we eat.0 -
Because exercising a lot requires more calories, best is from good carbs before working out, proteins after to help your muscles repair and feed themselves properly. If your intake is way too far away from what you burn, your body will hold onto whatever it can get. I've read yesterday that there shouldn't be more than 30% difference which seems reasonable to me.0
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I did the entire insanity workout and never lost a lb. I did however end up with very sore joints. I did stick to my diet too during this time. I now do chalean extream and I have lost 14 lbs so far and I am now in the lean phase. I am no stanger to exercise either, I do tae bo, zumba, Jillian Michaels, and I am a Marine. But this is just my opinion.0
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Try doing the workouts every other day. Your body is literally beat up. If you continue on this path you will burn out. Your body and mind will greatly thank you if you give your body a change to repair one body part before forcing it to repair a different one the next day.0
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The scale is the devil and a liar. Take measurements. If you are tracking your calories and workouts right stop worry about your weight. I gained 5 pounds after 30 days but my pants fit better.0
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Well then... I guess its up to me to be the bad guy, since all of you are giving her the "Kudos, its just water, your building muscle" kind of answers.
Simply this: If you are not tracking your intake, you have NO IDEA how much you are eating. Your body is stressed from the workouts, and probably making you feel hungrier to recover burned calories. Without a doubt, you are eating more calories than you are burning, which will ALWAYS translate to a gain. While a small part of your gain could be due to water retainment, I would bet money its actually too much calorie intake. And like another poster said... just because you could eat a certain way in your teens and early 20s, does not mean you still can.
Want results? Track your intake.
I am not trying to offend. I'm just stating the almost certain reason you are gaining.0 -
if you are aching then it will be the water that protects the muscle from damage,this will go in a week or so,and secondly you don't build muscle up THAT fast! it takes time thats why p90x is 3 months long!0
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The scale is the devil and a liar. Take measurements. If you are tracking your calories and workouts right stop worry about your weight. I gained 5 pounds after 30 days but my pants fit better.
^^^ This. The scale does lie. Ignore it. Throw it out. Hide it in another room of the house. Buy a tape measure and only listen to that. It will become your new best friend, I promise.0 -
I feel you! I'm on week three and about to be done with it! It hurts my knee and I really don't like it. While I did P90X I consistently lost the 1 pound per week or more. I didn't lose a single pound for my weigh in this morning! Shaun T is nice eye candy, but I don't think his workout is for me and my body.0
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Water is your solution.0
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Just keep at It. I have about 8 workouts till the completion of insanity. I've actually gained 2 lbs but lost several inches and have more muscle definition than i've had in a while. Don't worry about weight, Insanity will give you results. Just keep "Digging Deeper" 0
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The scale is the devil and a liar. Take measurements. If you are tracking your calories and workouts right stop worry about your weight. I gained 5 pounds after 30 days but my pants fit better.
I totally agree with this. I've been lifting weights and trying a modified paleo diet while training for a marathon. At first, only doing cardio, I lost weight. That ended when I started Crossfit again. The scale went up 5 pounds in the last month, but my waist, hips, and thighs are the incredible shrinking body parts. I'm down one size and into the single digits again. I have to hike my pants up at work.
To the OP - the scale is not your friend. You are building muscle. I know it goes against everything we are told to expect, but workouts like P90X, Insanity, and Crossfit first build muscle which helps to burn fat. Don't let your workouts or self-worth be determined by a number on a scale.0 -
Well then... I guess its up to me to be the bad guy, since all of you are giving her the "Kudos, its just water, your building muscle" kind of answers.
Simply this: If you are not tracking your intake, you have NO IDEA how much you are eating. Your body is stressed from the workouts, and probably making you feel hungrier to recover burned calories. Without a doubt, you are eating more calories than you are burning, which will ALWAYS translate to a gain. While a small part of your gain could be due to water retainment, I would bet money its actually too much calorie intake. And like another poster said... just because you could eat a certain way in your teens and early 20s, does not mean you still can.
Want results? Track your intake.
I am not trying to offend. I'm just stating the almost certain reason you are gaining.
^^^^ completely 100% right.. I did P90X and Slim in 6 for 2 years and never lost more then 5 pounds back and forth until I combined them with logging my food intake on here. I found out I was not eating enough protein very quickly and changed that , now I stay around 135-136 pounds !! That's a lot better then gaining weight when your workout is kicking your *kitten*! I was working out 5 times a week and weighed 148!!!0 -
They've all been mentioned.
1) Water weight - Insanity is tough and you're doing a lot of (good) muscle damage. They're undoubtedly holding on to water to help repair them.
2) Muscle - even an experienced exerciser can put on a lot of muscle with a new programme. I put an inch on my calves in 4 weeks doing Insanity, up to 18".
3) Food intake - as tough as they are, the calorie burn in Insanity isn't THAT amazing, at least in the first month. At 200 lbs I usually only burn 450 cals or so per workout. (I burn a lot more in the Max workouts). It's easy to feel pooped and overeat that number of calories because you feel you've deserved it.
Probably best to forget the scales for the time being and focus on your measurements, your improvements in doing the workouts, and your food intake.0 -
Thank you all for your useful replies and advice.
To sum al up:
1. The major problem would be water. Yeah, I think I do not drink enough water, so I will work on that.
2. The calorie intake is still controversial to me: some of you say I eat too much, without knowing
“Simply this: If you are not tracking your intake, you have NO IDEA how much you are eating. Your body is stressed from the workouts, and probably making you feel hungrier to recover burned calories. Without a doubt, you are eating more calories than you are burning, which will ALWAYS translate to a gain”
And some
“it's possible that you should be eating more. it's possible that your body is burning quite a bit more than it was used to, yet you never gave it more fuel”
Well, I know that most of you advised me to keep a track of how much I am eating, but it’s just not me. So far, I’ve survived without counting my calories. I just don’t like the idea of calculating everything, I guess this makes me think about all those girls obsessed with their weight, if you know what I mean.
Let me give you an example: in summer, I used to eat much more and do a 40-min aquagym session in the morning and an 1-hour step-aerobic. So, it was less challenging than Insanity is and I used to eat much more and my body was lighter and thinner (so less kg and also less centimeters)!!!?!?!
3. I will put away the scale, at least until I finish Insanity. However, hopefully, I will notice a difference in inches, as for now there isn’t any, my whole body seems to be bloating/ swelling, instead of shrinking…0 -
Hey I've been doing Insanity for almost 60 days im on the last two weeks already its a great workout, but I too am having a problem with the scale it is not my friend at the moment. Im waiting to leave for the navy and as such I required to weigh a certain amount since Insanity though I've actually gained weight. Right now im at 185.4 which is 4 lbs. over my max weight. I need to lose this weight I like the inches but I need the weight loss. Any tips would be great thanks; and hope to hear back0
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Thank you all for your useful replies and advice.
To sum al up:
1. The major problem would be water. Yeah, I think I do not drink enough water, so I will work on that.
2. The calorie intake is still controversial to me: some of you say I eat too much, without knowing
“Simply this: If you are not tracking your intake, you have NO IDEA how much you are eating. Your body is stressed from the workouts, and probably making you feel hungrier to recover burned calories. Without a doubt, you are eating more calories than you are burning, which will ALWAYS translate to a gain”
And some
“it's possible that you should be eating more. it's possible that your body is burning quite a bit more than it was used to, yet you never gave it more fuel”
Well, I know that most of you advised me to keep a track of how much I am eating, but it’s just not me. So far, I’ve survived without counting my calories. I just don’t like the idea of calculating everything, I guess this makes me think about all those girls obsessed with their weight, if you know what I mean.
Let me give you an example: in summer, I used to eat much more and do a 40-min aquagym session in the morning and an 1-hour step-aerobic. So, it was less challenging than Insanity is and I used to eat much more and my body was lighter and thinner (so less kg and also less centimeters)!!!?!?!
3. I will put away the scale, at least until I finish Insanity. However, hopefully, I will notice a difference in inches, as for now there isn’t any, my whole body seems to be bloating/ swelling, instead of shrinking…
I thought MFP was all about tracking and eating healthy? I also have slim in 6, P90X and Turbo Fire. All intense workouts. Every single one of them will tell you that it is not just about exercise but a healthy diet. Even Beach Body sets calorie goals on Their website. If it was just about working out then why do all the programs suggest a calorie intake to be tracked?0
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